4 ways to trade the Portland Trail Blazers expiring contracts

The Portland Trail Blazers would be delighted to take the Houston Rockets two current troublemakers

Houston has been anchoring the bottom of the Western Conference standings all season, and their inability to come to an agreement with or trade John Wall has ensured they’ll stay there for the time being.

And now it seems the rest of the team is coming apart, with two starters — Christian Wood and Kevin Porter, Jr., running afoul of two highly regarded NBA coaches in Stephen Silas and John Lucas — and getting themselves benched for at least a game and a half.

A team that is obviously headed full-tilt towards a brick wall will have no hesitation to deal problematic players for cap space. One would hope the move from congested and stifling-in-the-summer Houston to the lush and friendly Rose City would inspire the two disgruntled Rockets to return to their hungry selves. Wood and Porter would instantly become two of the best defensive players on the Blazers.

Once Wall is moved, the Rockets would have plenty of cap room to retain Simons, Nurkic, or both. Or they could opt to add Nurkic to their ever-expanding list of buyout candidates and make Simons a max offer.

Either way, this deal leaves Houston with a deep core of young, untested, and low-salaried players moving forward, and the Blazers with some defense for a change.